By Ted Leonhardt

In November of 2011 I decided to get serious about new business for my consulting practice. The first thing I did was to search for someone who knew design, advertising, branding and the publications that serve them. I sent emails to writers and editors that I knew at CA, HOW, Graphic Design USA, Marketing and Ad Age asking them who they’d recommend to help me get published.

I interviewed three of the recommended group. I knew I needed someone who could critique my writing, suggest story ideas that fit my expertise and copy edit. Most of all I knew that I needed someone who had relationships with the publications and knew how to develop new relationships going forward.

While I was interviewing I began writing columns about various subjects that I’d run into with my clients’ over the previous years. By the time I’d picked the PR firm to help me I had three stories ready to go.

In January 2012 my stories began to appear. At the time I had less than 10 Twitter followers and something like 200 LinkedIn connections and only one client.

Over 2012 and the first six months of 2013 I wrote over thirty columns and they were published over ninety times. In the process, with the editing and critiques, my writing improved. I now use the stories in my public speaking and training sessions. My first book, a collection of stories designed to help young creative professionals negotiate fees and salaries will be published in a few months.

Better yet, starting mid 2012, I began getting inbound calls from creative firms who wanted to hire me. There is nothing like being needed to make one feel fantastic. Today I have active clients in London, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle.

I’m using my expertise to help creative professionals be more successful negotiating with their clients, winning new business, dealing with their partners and employees and generally improving their lives. I can honestly say that after a forty-five year career I’m having the time of my life.

The professional that I hired in December 2011 to help me is Len Stein of Visibility Public Relations. When in comes to representing marketing services firms he is the best.